The authors explain that climate change poses a significant threat to global food and nutritional security by negatively affecting crop growth and agricultural productivity.
The researchers point out that many countries have adopted ambitious mitigation and adaptation targets that require major changes to existing agri-food systems, which may further complicate these challenges. To address this, the study provides a roadmap for improved crop production that focuses on the effective transfer of scientific knowledge into plant breeding and crop management strategies.
This approach is intended to support sustainable agricultural intensification and enhance climate resilience. While the authors identify key problem areas and highlight potential solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change, they note that the translation of scientific advances into actual crop production lags far behind current knowledge and technology.
Ultimately, the researchers suggest that a holistic approach—combining different disciplines through collaborative efforts—can create better connections between research, policy, and the needs of society.
Learn more about this study here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.10.028
Reference:
Benitez-Alfonso, Y., Soanes, B. K., Zimba, S., Sinanaj, B., German, L., Sharma, V., Bohra, A., Kolesnikova, A., Dunn, J. A., Martin, A. C., Khashi U Rahman, M., Saati-Santamaría, Z., García-Fraile, P., Ferreira, E. A., Frazão, L. A., Cowling, W. A., Siddique, K. H. M., Pandey, M. K., Farooq, M., … Foyer, C. H. (2023). Enhancing climate change resilience in agricultural crops. Current Biology, 33(23), R1246–R1261.